Summer is coming up and if you are one of the many people who is taking off your boat cover and tuning up your boat for boating season, you may want to listen up. The results of a recent study have warned just how dangerous wakeboarding and waterskiing can be. Researchers from the Nationwide Children's Hospital claim that thousands of water skiers and wake boarders are treated in emergency departments across the United States every year.
The study shows which injuries are the most likely to happen when you are waterskiing and the most likely injuries when you are wakeboarding. The most common water skiing injuries are sprains and strains. Legs are injured the most often while water skiing. Wakeboarding often results in cuts and head and face injuries. Wake boarders are also the more likely to have a traumatic brain injury than water skiers.
Researchers found that individuals and families who boated often and had specific rules for their boat experienced significantly less injuries than boaters who did not have rules. A few of the important rules that prevented injury involved what to do before waterskiing or wakeboarding. New participants were to be trained on how to get up out of the water and how to safely use the tow rope. Before entering the water, participants were to go over basic hand signals with the spotter to be sure they each had the same idea of what they meant. The boat operator should be licensed and experienced with the boat and the body of water.
With a rapid acceleration of up to 35 mph, lack of protective gear and obstacles in the water such as towlines, boat propellers and other skiers, waterskiing and wakeboarding both carry extremely high risks of injury. Researchers also found that there are specific rules that, if followed, help participants remain safe while actually in the water. The study found that the skier or wake boarder while on the boat and while in the water is less at risk when you choose to: water ski and wakeboard only during the day, wear a life jacket, wear a safety helmet when wakeboarding, have a spotter who sits at the back of the boat and watches the skier, immediately let go of the rope when you fall, make sure the propeller of the boat has stopped before getting back into the boat, stop and get out of the water as soon as you see lightning, hear thunder, or know a storm is coming, do not do any watersports in restricted areas, and do not use drugs or alcohol while driving the boat, waterskiing or wakeboarding.
Unearthing your boat from the boat cover and taking it out on the lake can be exciting and fun, but research reminds us just how dangerous water sports can be. Make sure that each year, before you even take that boat cover off, you go over the rules of the boat and cover the rules of the water to better ensure the safety of everyone involved. If you want to learn more about boat safety, do some research online, take all the safety precautions, and cover all your bases.
The study shows which injuries are the most likely to happen when you are waterskiing and the most likely injuries when you are wakeboarding. The most common water skiing injuries are sprains and strains. Legs are injured the most often while water skiing. Wakeboarding often results in cuts and head and face injuries. Wake boarders are also the more likely to have a traumatic brain injury than water skiers.
Researchers found that individuals and families who boated often and had specific rules for their boat experienced significantly less injuries than boaters who did not have rules. A few of the important rules that prevented injury involved what to do before waterskiing or wakeboarding. New participants were to be trained on how to get up out of the water and how to safely use the tow rope. Before entering the water, participants were to go over basic hand signals with the spotter to be sure they each had the same idea of what they meant. The boat operator should be licensed and experienced with the boat and the body of water.
With a rapid acceleration of up to 35 mph, lack of protective gear and obstacles in the water such as towlines, boat propellers and other skiers, waterskiing and wakeboarding both carry extremely high risks of injury. Researchers also found that there are specific rules that, if followed, help participants remain safe while actually in the water. The study found that the skier or wake boarder while on the boat and while in the water is less at risk when you choose to: water ski and wakeboard only during the day, wear a life jacket, wear a safety helmet when wakeboarding, have a spotter who sits at the back of the boat and watches the skier, immediately let go of the rope when you fall, make sure the propeller of the boat has stopped before getting back into the boat, stop and get out of the water as soon as you see lightning, hear thunder, or know a storm is coming, do not do any watersports in restricted areas, and do not use drugs or alcohol while driving the boat, waterskiing or wakeboarding.
Unearthing your boat from the boat cover and taking it out on the lake can be exciting and fun, but research reminds us just how dangerous water sports can be. Make sure that each year, before you even take that boat cover off, you go over the rules of the boat and cover the rules of the water to better ensure the safety of everyone involved. If you want to learn more about boat safety, do some research online, take all the safety precautions, and cover all your bases.